


A Complicated History

by SkyPhoenix13125



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, Magic, Reader-Insert, Siblings, True Love, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25581013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyPhoenix13125/pseuds/SkyPhoenix13125
Summary: This is a short series I wrote while I was still heavily into Once Upon a Time. It takes place right after Neal gets to Storybrooke.SPOILERS FOR SEASONS 2 &  3. Read at your own risk.Originally posted on Deviantart, republished on Wattpad. This is my original work.
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Original Female Character(s), Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. It's Complicated

Neal shut the door behind his ex and his son. Your first meeting had gone fairly well. Everyone left in one piece, which you considered a win. 

"He's a cute kid," you said finally. "He's got your spirit...and your eyes."

"Yeah."

"You make such an adorable dad."

He glanced up at you. "(Y/N), I know this is weird. This whole trip is. But I swear I didn't know about him until the other day. I would never lie to you about that. I didn't--"

"Neal, relax. I'm just teasing." You gave him a peck on the cheek. "I know your history is a little complicated. It happens."

He sighed. "You have no idea."

"Well, I didn't. Until your ex, your son, and your father all showed up and begged you to come to this tiny town in Maine."

"I knew you didn't like Storybrooke," he said with a slight smirk.

"It's not that I don't like it." You shook your head. "It's just that it's not what I'm used to. I'm not used to the peaceful silences or the way everyone seems to know everyone else. It just feels really...claustrophobic."

"Well, how about we go out to the park or something? Get some fresh air and forget about everything for a bit."

You smiled. "That sounds really nice, actually."

"Great. I'll grab my coat."

You and Neal walked hand in hand to the park. You both stayed silent during your walk, but it was a comfortable one. Something that was a welcome break from all the excitement of the past couple of days. When you got there, you immediately made your way over to the edge of the water and ran your hand along the surface. 

Neal looked down at his reflection, frowning slightly. He knew that it wasn't fair to do this to you. To drag you all the way here for no apparent reason and bombard you with pieces of his past. He wanted to be honest with you. But he also didn't know how you would react if he told you everything.

Still, if he was going to marry you-- 

His thoughts were interrupted as something collided with his back. He fell into the water as someone tried to wrestle with him. 

"Got you, crocodile!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Neal threw his attacker off of him, wiping his hair out of his eyes. 

"Hook?!" he gasped. The tall pirate scrambled to his feet, his clothes and hair plastered to his skin.

"Baelfire," he muttered. "You look very much like your father from behind." He felt something cool press against his throat and he frowned.

"I'd stay very still if I were you," you hissed from the bank of the pond. Hook fumbled for a moment, realizing that his sword was missing. 

He chuckled nervously. "Now, now, this is no way for a lady to greet someone."

"It is when you try to drown my fiance."

"(Y/N), I'm okay. Put down the sword," Neal said, as he made his way over to you. You had a dangerous look in your eyes that he'd never seen before. And he wasn't sure where it had come from. 

"That's right, love," Hook said. "Listen to Baelfire and let the dashing rapscallion go."

You begrudgingly lowered the sword. Neal sighed quietly. 

Hook turned around.

"My thanks to the lovely..." He froze, recognizing your (h/c) hair and your bright (e/c) eyes. "Cassie?"

Neal narrowed his eyes. "Wait, do you know her?"

"Obviously not!" you exclaimed. "My name isn't Cassie."

"You and Baelfire?" Hook pressed, stepping closer. 

You turned to Neal. "Why is he calling you Baelfire?"

"How do you know her, Hook?"

"I could ask you the same thing, you little--!" You shoved Neal behind you, pointing the sword at Hook once more. 

"Start talking. Who are you and what is going on?"

Hook hesitated. "You really don't remember me?"

"Should I?" you countered.

"I would think you'd remember your own dear brother, Cassandra." Neal stiffened behind you. 

"You're lying. I'm an only child."

Hook shook his head. "I'm afraid your history is a little more complicated than that."


	2. Try to Understand

_Previously:_

_"Start talking. Who are you and what is going on?"_

_Hook hesitated. "You really don't remember me?"_

_"Should I?" you countered._

_"I would think you'd remember your own dear brother." Neal stiffened behind you._

_"You're lying. I'm an only child."_

_Hook shook his head. "I'm afraid your history is a little more complicated than that."_

"Okay," you muttered. "You....cannot be my brother."

He frowned, taken aback by your comment. "Why not?" 

"Maybe because you never had a sister, Hook," Neal commented.

"Actually, I did. I just never shared that particular information with you," the pirate replied. You glanced between them.

"Did you just call him Hook? As in 'Captain Hook'?"

"The one and only."

You chuckled, taking in his long leather coat, the dark hair, and the hook on his wrist. "All right, that explains everything. You're crazy!"

"I am not--"

"And what are you trying to prove, humoring him like this?" you hissed to Neal. 

"(Y/N), there's....it's not..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh...she doesn't know." Hook smirked slightly. "You never told her."

"Told me what?"

Neal groaned. "I was going to, but--"

"Told me what?"

"You are even more like your father than I thought. Cowardly."

"You take that back!" Neal lunged at him. Hook raced behind you, using you as a human shield.

"Then why doesn't she know who you really are?!"

"If you're her brother, why doesn't she remember you?!"

"Stop it! Both of you!" You grabbed them both at arm's length. "Neither of you are making sense, and I demand that someone start right now or I'm calling the sheriff to have you taken to jail!"

Neal stared at you in some mixture of shock and awe. Hook just smirked.

"There's the Cassie that I remember."

"Stop calling me that."

"(Y/N), look at me." You glanced at Neal. "It'll be okay. We'll just go back to the inn and figure all of this out."

You jerked your head toward Hook. "And him?"

"You've still got his sword."

Hook exhaled slightly as you raised the sword toward him. 

"And I will use this," you threatened.

"Believe me, I know."

"Then follow Neal and keep your mouth shut until we get there."

Neal sat down next to you on the sofa. Hook was sitting on your other side, still irritable that you hadn't given his sword back.

"All right. Maybe we should start at the beginning." Neal took your hand in his, staring at you intensely. "There are some things that you need to hear."

You frowned. "What is it?"

"You don't know everything about me. About who I was."

"You mean, about you being a criminal?"

He sighed. "No. I mean about me coming from the Enchanted Forest."

"Excuse me?"

"I used to live in the Enchanted Forest with my mother and father. My father is Rumpelstiltskin. My mother was a woman named Mina."

"Your father is Mr. Gold."

"That's him in this reality."

"Neal," you said. "This isn't funny."

"And I'm not laughing." He ran a hand through his hair. "I know that this is a lot to take in, but--"

"But nothing! You expect me to believe that? You expect me to believe that not only are you some fairy tale character, but that guy--" you gestured vaguely to Hook "--is telling me the truth and that he's Captain Hook, my brother whom I can't remember? Do you realize how crazy that sounds?!"

"It does sound a bit far-fetched when you say it like that," Hook commented. You and Neal both turned to glare at him.

"How would you want to start, then?" Neal growled.

"Easy." He smirked. "Start with who she is. A smart, confident, attractive, and somewhat dangerous woman."

"That's who she is now."

Hook sighed. "The spell works with what it can get. And it got all of those attributes because she shares some of my genes. Now, be quiet and let me talk."

He turned his attention to you. "You were born into the Jones family. You were the youngest, after my brother Liam and myself."

"Wait, I have two brothers?"

"No. Just one. Liam....passed."

"Oh." You blinked. "I'm sorry, I guess."

"No need to dwell on it," Hook offered with a small smile. "Like the both of us, you had an adventurous spirit and the sea in your blood. You wanted to be a captain, too."

"You were just as clever as we were, just as dangerous. You tried to con your way onto a boat several times using your....natural charm," he said with a glance at Neal. "But sailors are a tricky and superstitious lot, and they never liked keeping women on their vessels any longer than necessary."

"Okay. I...this is a lovely story, but this isn't me. I'm not a pirate."

He narrowed his eyes. "We all saw how well you can handle your own. You know how to take charge, how to handle a sword."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"So you don't like old things, expensive things, interesting stories, far away places, or excitement?" You averted your gaze. "You're telling me that you like it here, in this dull little town? It doesn't make you feel trapped?"

"Captain Hook is a story character. He isn't real."

"Then why am I right here in front of you? Come now, Cassie--"

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Hook, hey. Come here." Neal grabbed the taller man and pulled him to the opposite corner of the room. They started whispering furtively to one another. You watched them warily, tapping your fingers against the sword you were still holding.

"It's...uh, getting late. We're going to get some food," Neal said after a few minutes. "You want anything from Granny's?"

You stared at him for a second. "Sure. I'll take a burger, fries, and a shake. Chocolate."

"Great. Be back in a few." Neal grabbed Hook's sleeve and dragged him out of the room. You sighed heavily the second they were gone.

"Honestly. Me, a pirate." You looked at your reflection in Hook's sword, tightening your grip on it. "How did I end up being engaged to a crazy person?"

You stood up. "He seemed so normal when we met. 'Hi, I'm Neal. I'm mysterious and sarcastic, but my smile can charm any woman within two seconds'. You flicked the sword around. "I mean, really. There were red flags. But what did I do?"

"I went on a date with him. I fell for him after a handful. I agreed to marry him after about a year. And bam! The past catches up with him. I mean, ex-thief, an ex with a kid--"

You suddenly frowned. You had thrown the sword up and over your shoulders, holding it loosely behind your neck as you contemplated everything.

You quickly dropped it, letting it clatter against the floor. You stared at it in bewilderment before grabbing your coat. "That tears it. I need some air."

"This is not going to work," Hook grumbled. Neal shushed him as he saw the front door open. You slipped out, clutching your coat tightly to your body.

"What did I tell you?" Neal said. "Time to put Operation Cobra into effect."

"Cobra?" Hook repeated.

Neal shuffled slightly. "He wanted to name it." The two men watched as Henry started walking in your direction.


	3. Time to Believe

Previously: 

_"This is not going to work," Hook grumbled. Neal shushed him as he saw the front door open. You slipped out, clutching your coat tightly to your body._

__

_"What did I tell you?" Neal said. "Time to put Operation Cobra into effect."_

__

_"Cobra?" Hook repeated._

__

_Neal shuffled slightly. "He wanted to name it." The two men watched as Henry started walking in your direction._

You heard footsteps behind you. You slowly clenched your fists, taking a deep breath. You whirled around just in time to stop Henry from running into you.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry. I didn't...I didn't know that was you, Henry." You cleared your throat and unclenched your fists. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would get some fresh air and read a little."

"That sounds nice." You started walking and he fell into step beside you.

"Do you like reading?" he asked.

"Sometimes."

"I only like it when it's something really interesting, you know? Like if it's got a hero going on a quest or something."

You nodded quickly. "Those can be good."

"Hey, you want to take a look at my book? You might like it!"

"Henry, I don't think--"

"Come on," he pleaded with you. You made the mistake of glancing down at him. And you saw those big eyes that looked so much like Neal's.

"All right. But just one chapter."

He grinned up at you. "Great! But you should know, this book doesn't have chapters." He sat down on a bench, pulling it from his bag. "It has stories."

You glanced at the book. "Oh. It's a book of fairy tales."

"Yeah. But it's pretty cool." He flipped a few pages. "See? This guy looks like Mr. Gold." 

You frowned slightly, staring at the picture. You had only met Neal's father briefly, but it really did bear a striking resemblance to him.

"Why is he...?"

"Gray? He's been taken over by a dark power, and it changed who he is." He flipped to another page. "But this woman, Belle, can see that he's a nice person underneath his appearance. And she loves him, which is the only power that can break the spell."

"So, your standard fairy tale," you said.

"Some of them. But some of them are about other worlds. Like this one." He showed you a picture of a man in a dark coat, working furiously on a top hat. "This is about the Mad Hatter. His hat can take him to other worlds if he puts a little magic in it."

He flipped to another page. "And some are about pirates." 

"That's--" You hesitated as you saw the new figure on the page. Tall, dark hair, long coat, hook for a hand. Eerily similar to the man you had only met recently. "Is that...Captain Hook?"

"Yeah. You know the story of Peter Pan?"

"Of course."

"Well, according to this story, Hook is actually the good guy. He just wants revenge for his older brother's death."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Can't imagine what he would do if his sister died, too."

Hook narrowed his eyes. "This is preposterous. How on earth do you expect that child to convince her when we failed?"

"If he could convince Emma, then he can convince anyone," Neal replied evenly.

Henry flipped to a different page in the book. "See? His younger sister meant a lot to him." You saw a young woman standing on a dock. She was dressed in a dusty brown jacket, a collared shirt, dark pants, and knee high boots. Her (h/l) (h/c) hair was fluttering in the breeze, her (e/c) eyes staring off into the distance.

"Why does she look so sad?" you asked, frowning thoughtfully.

"She wanted to be a ship captain like her brothers. But they wouldn't let her, so she got a job working in a town where she kept an inventory of ships, crew manifests, their hauls, and stuff like that. She didn't like it as much, but she got to be around what she liked. This is the last time that she saw her brothers before they went on a voyage to a new land."

_"Like the both of us, you had an adventurous spirit and the sea in your blood. You wanted to be a captain, too."_

"What happened?"

"Liam, the oldest brother died. And Captain Hook decided to become a pirate to avenge his death."

_"I have two brothers?"_

_"No. Just one. Liam....passed....No need to dwell on it."_

You slowly reached your hand out and ran your fingers along the page. "Does this....Hook know someone named Baelfire?"

Henry smiled slightly. "Yeah. They met for a little while. They didn't get along very well, since Hook wanted to kill Baelfire's father: 'the crocodile'.

_"Got you, crocodile!.....Baelfire. You look very much like your father from behind."_

"And Baelfire's father is Rumpelstiltskin?"

"How did you know?"

You smiled softly. "Just a...lucky guess."

_"I used to live in the Enchanted Forest with my mother and father. My father is Rumpelstiltskin."_

_"Your father is Mr. Gold."_

_"That's him in this reality."_

_"You're telling me that you like it here, in this dull little town? It doesn't make you feel trapped?"_

_"It just feels really...claustrophobic."_

_"We all saw how well you can handle your own. You know how to take charge, how to handle a sword."_

_"I will use this."_

_"Believe me, I know."_

_You quickly dropped the sword, letting it clatter against the floor._

_"I know that this is a lot to take in."_

_"She doesn't know. You never told her."_

_"I was going to, but--"_

_"Why doesn't she know who you really are?!"_

_"You really don't remember me?"_

_"Should I?"_

_"I would think you'd remember your own dear brother, Cassandra."_

_"If you're her brother, why doesn't she remember you?!"_

"This was nice, Henry. But I think I should head back to our room. Neal is probably worried."

"Okay. I should probably find my mom anyway. But we should do this again sometime." He smiled up at you. 

You smiled thinly. "Yeah. We'll see."

You opened the door to see Hook and Neal standing there, waiting for you. You glanced at Neal.

"Nice touch sending him in to do your dirty work."

"It was his idea," Hook said quickly. Neal made a face at him. 

You raised an eyebrow. "Look. Let's say I believe you. How come you remember and I don't?"

The men glanced at each other.


	4. Remembering

Previously: 

_"Look. Let's say I believe you. How come you remember and I don't?"_

_The men glanced at each other._

Neal frowned slightly. "I fell into this world years ago." 

"And I didn't come over with Regina's spell, so I never lost my memories," Hook added. "But if you had, you would have ended up here in this town with everyone else."

"So, what does that mean? I lost my memories for some other reason?"

"You had to, or you would have gotten them back when Emma broke the spell."

"And how did she manage that?" Hook asked.

"True love's kiss. She loved Henry, and that made her believe in magic. It was the only way to save him."

Hook frowned thoughtfully, looking between you and Neal. "Don't tell me you two haven't--"

"Yes, we've kissed," Neal replied impatiently. "But it obviously didn't do anything."

"That better have been all you did with her."

You scoffed. "Hey! I'm standing right here!" Hook narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, and explain to me why on earth you would choose someone like Baelfire. You could have anyone you want, but you chose the son of the Dark One."

"Well, first of all, I didn't know that. Second, it's not like he's dark or magical. Look at him. He's adorable!" Neal smiled slightly. Hook scoffed.

"He makes me happy, okay? I love him, and that's all that matters."

Neal stepped closer to you. "You still love me, even after...all of this?"

"Of course. I mean, there wasn't really a good time to tell me about your past as a fairy tale character."

"Speaking of that, is anyone going to tell me about how you two met in perhaps the greatest coincidence....ever?" Hook chimed in.

"I worked in New York as a bank teller. I was running late to work and Neal held the subway door for me. He got off on the same stop as I did and I honestly thought he was trying to rob me. But he got me to laugh and break the ice, and I knew he was a sweetheart."

"And I honestly followed her because when she slipped past me, she had this really distinct scent that I liked."

"Sea salt and vanilla," Hook interjected. You raised your eyebrows slightly.

Neal nodded. "I kept following her so that I could smell it, which is what I told her. She thought it was so funny, she almost ran into a pole. I had the biggest, dorkiest smile on my face because it was just so cute. And someone that could make me smile like that was someone I knew I could fall for."

"It was kind of a blur after that," you admitted.

Hook cleared his throat. "But you didn't know that she was my--?"

"How could I have known, Hook? I thought that I left that part of my life behind. I never would have imagined that she had anything to do with it until you showed up."

"But that still doesn't explain how I got here without any memories of my past life," you pointed out. "And if true love's kiss doesn't fix it, then maybe they're just gone."

The two of them frowned.

"Maybe it's not true love," Hook chimed in finally.

"Of course you would say that. You would love for that to be true, wouldn't you?" Neal pressed. "You know, if I knew she was related to you from the beginning, I might have just let that door shut."

You scoffed. "Neal!"

"I'm sorry. But you have to admit--"

"He is as much my brother as you are my fiance. And even if I can't remember him, that doesn't mean that I won't defend him. Now, I don't care what kind of ridiculous history you have. You both care about me and that should be enough!"

Neal stared at you in disbelief. Hook smirked slightly before stepping closer.

"Hate to break it to you, Baelfire, but that's what true love sounds like."

"Spare me, please," you groaned.

"Sorry, Cassie. Can't do that."

"Because you love her," Neal muttered. "You love her."

"She's my sister--"

"But you love her!"

Understanding dawned in Hook's eyes. "Yes. I suppose I do." He turned back to you and put his hands on your shoulders. "And loving me would be harder than loving your fiance, wouldn't it?"

You froze when you felt Hook's lips on your forehead. You inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling something akin to the strongest brain freeze you've ever felt. But with this feeling came bursts of memories. 

Growing up with Liam and Killian. 

Sword fighting with both of them.

Watching the two of them becoming such successful captains of their own vessels.

Having to see them go off on their own adventures. Leaving you behind.

Finally getting fed up and finding a fairy to grant your wish.

Her warning that all magic comes with a price. 

You finding your way through your new world, now completely oblivious to who you really were.

"(Y/N)?" Neal murmured.

You felt someone shake you slightly. "Cassie?" 

You opened your eyes, staring at both of them. "Cassandra. My name is....Cassandra Jones."

Hook grinned before enveloping you in a hug. "You remember."

"I remember," you repeated. "Thanks to you."

"I'm sorry about Liam. It....it was all my fault."

"Killian, don't start. It was an accident, I'm sure. But first things first." 

You took Neal's hand. "You're the son of the Dark One."

He nodded wordlessly. 

"And I don't care. You're not him. You're Neal Cassidy, and regardless of who you were in this life or in another one, I still love you."

".......Just not as much as me," Hook added.

"Killian. Don't start!" you hissed.

"I'm not starting, I'm just saying--" Before he knew what had happened, his sword was once again pressed against his neck.

You smirked slightly. "I will use this." Neal chuckled, slinging an arm around your shoulder.

"That's my fiance." He kissed the top of your head.


End file.
